Leadership as a Field of Study

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey McDougle) — Tue, 11 Feb 2020 10:51:00 +0000

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Auto-didactic Statistical Training (12.14.09)
As I continue to delve into my dissertation research, I have become very aware of the fact that there are just some things that I (and maybe even you) as the student will have to self-learn...

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Auto-didactic Statistical Training

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey McDougle) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:41:00 +0000

As I continue to delve into my dissertation research, I have become very aware of the fact that there are just some things that I (and maybe even you) as the student will have to self-learn...especially when it comes to statistical analysis.

As such, I wanted to share some of the resources that I have found to be quite invaluable for self-directed learning when it comes to statistics and SPSS (which is my statistical software package of choice):

There are several books that are beyond useful (and really just down-right good) in learning about econometrics and data with limited dependent variables (I focus specifically on data with limited dependent variables because I work primarily with survey data). My personal favorites include:

1.) Introductory Econometrics: A Modern Approach by Jeffrey Wooldridge
2.) An Introduction to Categorical Data Analysis by Alan Agretsi
3.) Regression Models for Categorical Dependent Variables Using Stata by Long & Freese (Although the syntax in this book is written for Stata users, it is very relevant to users of other software programs)
4.) Discovering Statistics Using SPSS by Andy Fields
5.) Applied Logistic Regression Analysis by Scott Menard
6.) A Guide to Econometrics by Peter Kennedy (literally a gem of gems... if you want to know anything econometric related IN PLAIN English... then this book is an absolute M.U.S.T... Written as a bullet-pointed list, this book tells you the most important aspects of all kind of different statistical procedures. The book is currently on the 6th Edition. If you would like to know more detailed and mathematical explanations, as opposed to intuitive, then I would recommend A Guide to Modern Econometrics by Marno Verbeek).

Also, the sociologist Richard Williams at Notre Dame keeps all of his lecture notes online for his graduate course in categorical data analysis. They are VERY in-depth notes (and he has examples in both SPSS and Stata). There are also lecture notes online for a course at the University of Texas-Austin in Advanced Data Analysis II. And, an online "textbook" called Elementary Concepts in Statistics. And, David Garson's webpage at North Carolina State University is also a wealth of information for various kinds of analysis.

The UGA SPSS listserv is also a great resource. If you subscribe you can send your SPSS sytax or statistical analysis questions to the listserv and you will get some amazing feedback. Be careful though, if you subscribe you will literally get about 40 emails from the listserv per day.... so, another option would simply be just to do a search of the listserv when ever you may need it. It has been around since 1996, so there are literally THOUSANDS of questions and answers.

The website of Raynald Levesque is really good for anyone trying to learn SPSS syntax. He started his site in 1992 and is literally an SPSS genius!... This is probably a bit advanced for most, but if you get to the point of learning syntax this will be a useful resource. (There is also a SPSS manual on syntax (actually programming and data management), but it is over 1,000 pages (yikes!) and it is not very reader-friendly). However, a book by Jacqueline Collier entitled Using SPSS Syntax: A Beginner's Guide was recently released, and should be useful in this regard.

Finally, the biostatistican Nicholas Jewel teaches a course called The Statistical Analysis of Categorical Data at UC Berkely and (better than just posting his notes online).... he posts PODCASTS of his lectures online, so you can literally listen to the course and take it in the privacy of your own home (or office... or where ever you may be). In fact, a number of universities offer podcasts (and even videos) of their lectures. All you have to do is do a simple Google search (or a search in iTunes U.) and from introductory statistics courses all the way up through mutli-level modeling or matrix algebra you can find just about any class online.

Happy Auto-didactic Learning!

November... eiy yie yie!

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey McDougle) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 02:19:00 +0000

My blog life has been pretty stagnant this month... but, please know that there are VERY good reasons as to why.

For one thing, I was preparing for the 2009 ARNOVA conference that was held in Cleveland, Ohio (November 18 - 21). (A blog post will be coming shortly about my experience at the conference).
I am also working on several new projects at work (that is: the Caster Family Center for Nonprofit Research at the University of San Diego). One of which is a multi-part survey of nonprofits and foundations that is taking up a lot of my time right now.
And, I recently found out that a funder has agreed to fund a major research project for our center that will, in essence, provide me with oddles of new data for my dissertation research.

So... needless to say... I have been beyond busy.

But all-in-all despite the hectic-ness of this month, November is actually one of the months of the year that I look forward to--especially in academia.

There are many wonderful conferences that take place during November:

So, even though November is an eiy yie yie kind of month, it's also a month filled with a lot of learning, research, and new ideas!

Things I've Learned Along the Way...

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey McDougle) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:17:00 +0000

I'm at the stage in my degree program where time and opportunity to blog have become a lot more scarce. Reading and writing in order to prepare for my dissertation proposal defense has all but consumed my free time. But, the good thing is that I actually enjoy what I'm studying... so, that makes the process a lot less cumbersome and grueling.

I was awake early this morning--at 3:22 am working on my proposal and another project--and I began thinking about all of the things that I have learned during the course of my doctoral journey that I wish someone would have told me at the very beginning... things that I think make the research process go a lot smoother. As such, I decided to take a break from writing and provide (what I hope will be) some insightful information to all of those who are just beginning the journey:

1.) Journal alerts are your friend. It will be very important for you to know all of the journals in your field of study (and related areas), and the most important (or seminal) pieces of work. To make this a bit easier, you will definitely want to subscribe to receive new journal alert e-mail notifications. (Or, if you use a RSS feed or some other tool such as Bloglines it's the same deal). Journal alerts are a convenient and useful feature that publishers (e.g., Sage or Wiley) offer. If you subscribe to these at the very start of your doctoral career then over the course of 4 - 5 years you should have plenty of insight into all of the most recent articles that have been published in your area of study.

2.) Organization: MAC Papers is a wonderful tool. I know that there are other programs for Windows based computers (e.g., Mendeley), but since I use a Mac I can only speak to what I know. You are going to accumulate years and years worth knowledge and information. So of course you will need to find a way to categorize, organize, and store all of this information. As such, organization is going to be a critical m.u.s.t. One of the most useful ways that I have found to organize all of my information is by using Mac Papers. It is very intuitive (operates on a platform that looks similar to iTunes) and is inexpensive for students (just send the developers an e-mail verifying your student status and you receive 40% off).

3.) Syntax, syntax, syntax! This is an area that I have to admit that I have not done a very good job in (but, I am getting better at). Learning syntax (SPSS, Stata, etc) is going to be a critically important tool for anyone working with quantitative data. I can not stress enough the efficiency in using syntax. Yes, there will definitely be a learning curve--especially if you have never used code before, but there is (what I hope will be) a wonderful book coming out November 30, 2009 for SPSS users on syntax, and there are numerous books and web guides on using syntax for Stata users. Additionally, for SPSS users the UGA SPSS listserv provides great help for all kinds of questions, and Raynald Levesque's website is beyond useful. But, just know.... the earlier you start the better off you will be! Trust me.

4.) Join a group! Don't think that you have to complete your Ph.D. in total isolation. Find a graduate student group to join. Meet other students on campus. Interact. Network! You will find that being in the company of other graduate students (in an environment outside of the classroom) can not only be rewarding intellectually, but it can also motivate you when you need it most.

5.) Finally: Live, laugh, love. Regardless of how bogged down you get with studying remember that life is life and it only comes around once. Take time for yourself. Congratulations on pursing your Ph.D., but don't become such a recluse in the process that you loose all sight of what's important in life.

School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES) Open House

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey McDougle) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 22:12:00 +0000

Register Now!

The School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES) at the University of San Diego will host an information session and open house on October 08, 2009.

Interested in learning more about certificate, credential, and graduate programs in SOLES?

Join us as we showcase programs from the following departments:

• Leadership
• Counseling
• Learning and Teaching
• Marital and Family Therapy

Thursday October 8th, 2009

• Time: 4:30pm - 6:00pm
• Location: Mother Rosalie Hill Hall

Directions to U.S.D.

Please remember to get a guest parking pass and parking location information at the entrance kiosk.

For more information, please e-mail solesgrads@sandiego.edu or call (619) 260-7988.

Leadership as an Experiential Exercise

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey McDougle) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:35:00 +0000

Transferring leadership theory into practice is not always an easy task. Particularly since the vessel through which we transfer such knowledge is often ourselves.

A lot of leadership programs have implemented some aspect of experiential learning as a part of their curricular requirements, but probably the most widely-known experiential leadership course is taught by Ronald Heifitz at Harvard University in the Kennedy School of Government. These courses allow students to use the classroom as a kind of "laboratory setting" to experiment with leadership theory.

I can remember when I took my first experiential leadership theory course nearly four years ago. I was completely and utterly confused (and, I am probably still confused to this day!) Sitting in a room with nearly 70 students who all have the goal, but differing potential, of exercising leadership can be not only overwhelming... but impossible.

Although there is still a lot of confusion surrounding my experience in that course, I must admit that experiential learning in the understanding of leadership theory is probably one of the most beneficial pedagogies for leader development.

Oftentimes, CEOs, Executives, Deans, Directors, and many other types of leaders try to develop on-the-job leadership skills that have neither been "tested" nor "refined." But, with such an abstract concept as leadership we all need opportunities to "experiment" with our leader potential. And, it's crazy to think that anyone would attempt to lead in a real-world environment without first understanding what their own leadership capabilities even are.

As such, in a field where individuals are often the "subjects of interest," and the "interest" is an intangible socially derived construct, it would be beneficial to all who study and practice leadership to participate in at least one experiential leadership learning experience. There are so many things that can be learned in an artificial environment (such as the classroom) that can provide great insight into the skills needed for real world situations.

Resources:

[Book] Leadership Without Easy Answers (1998), by Ronald A. Heifitz
Leadership Theory Course Description and Syllabus, University of San Diego, School of Leadership and Education Sciences
Exercising Leadership Course Description, Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government

Leadership Learning Community: Leadership for a New Era

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey McDougle) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:57:00 +0000

The Leadership Learning Community (LLC) recently started a new initiative: Leadership for a New Era: a collaborative project that invites members of the leadership development community to work together to shift the focus of leadership – away from the focus on the individual to more inclusive approaches that recognize leadership within groups and communities.

The goal of the collaborative project is to produce four research publications that will influence the field of leadership. One of the publications will focus on exploring how to support the leadership of people of color and addresses questions such as:

What are powerful, culturally-based, culturally specific models of leadership that build on ethnic/racial community assets?

How can we create environments that support more inclusive leadership?

What role can leadership programs play in raising awareness of structural racism?

And what role can leadership programs play in creating an imperative for taking action to support racial equity?

LLC is inviting all members of the leadership development community to join them in a free introductory webinar on 9/14/09 at 9:30 AM PST.

For more information please visit http://www.leadershipforanewera.com/.

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Note: I recently received this announcement in an e-mail. It seems like a very interesting organization that may prove to be useful to those interested in the field of leadership.

The Leadership of Nonprofits

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey McDougle) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:42:00 +0000

Some time ago James McGregor Burns made a distinction between transactional and transformational forms of leadership. His claim suggested that, on the one hand, transformational leaders were visionary and created authentic and positive transformative change within followers. Transactional leadership, on the other hand, he believed was more akin to the principles of scientific management and Taylorism.

Since this time, research assessing commonalities and differences between the two forms of leadership has taken off. But, it's interesting to note (and this could be a potential dissertation topic for someone!) that very little research on leader behavior, or leadership distinctions, has occurred in the nonprofit sector setting.

In particular, it has long been argued that nonprofit managers may be more ideological than managers in other sectors (see, for instance, Rose-Ackerman's (1997) article); but to the best of my knowledge, I have yet to see a study where someone has actually assessed the extent to which nonprofit managers have more transformational values than managers in either for-profit or government settings. And, whether or not these values are more productive in the workplace than are other, less transformational, values.

This is unfortunate.

There are several leadership scales that have been extensively developed and refined (with sound psychometric properties), but for some reason the nonprofit sector has yet to wholly embrace the notion of "leadership."

True. There is a journal in the field dedicated to both management and leadership: Nonprofit Management and Leadership. But, very few articles are actually devoted to "leadership" distinctions between nonprofit managers and managers in other sectors. Even fewer of these articles incorporate leadership theories into understanding the nonprofit sector. Perhaps this is merely a result of lack of scholarly interest.

Prima facie, however, you would think that there would be a lot of interest in the topic! Especially since there has been much 'ado about the purported "leadership deficit" facing the nonprofit sector. But alas... little empirical research has actually gone into examining this deficit. (One of the most recent studies, and indeed, one of the few studies that has actually examined the issue suggests that the "deficit" may, in fact, not be as severe as the leadership deficit facing other sectors.)

Considering, then, the dearth of scholarly attention that has been devoted to leadership in the nonprofit setting, it appears that leadership is not a very well regarded concept in this sector (at least, that is, from a scholarly point of view... it's long been obvious that many practitioners, and especially "younger" nonprofit employees have a strong interest in leadership issues in the nonprofit sector).

All-in-all, leadership is a field that is emerging. There are plethora of theories, instruments, scales, etc. that could extend much insight into understanding more about why we have a nonprofit sector, how the sector operates, and who is operating the sector.

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For anyone interested in the intersection of leadership and nonprofits, two books that can provide a great starting place are:

Leadership in Noprofit Organizations: Lessons from the Third Sector by Barry Michael Dym and Mr. Harry Hutson
Improving Leadership in Nonprofit Organizations by Kravis Leadership Institute, edited by Ron E. Riggio, Sarah Smith Orr, and Jack Shakely

Leadership as a Field of Study: Taking Shape, Taking Form

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey McDougle) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:06:00 +0000

In the last two weeks, I have added several new colleges and universities to the list of the leadership related degree programs. From new doctoral programs (e.g., the new Ph.D. in Strategic Leadership at James Madison University's School of Leadership Studies) to several new masters and undergraduate programs, the field of leadership appears to be taking off exponentially!

In fact, there are now well over 200 degree programs that focus on leadership!

With all of the recent emphasis on leadership, though, there is still no "official" accrediting body for leadership degree programs. But, a small step toward such a development appears to be underway. The International Leadership Association (ILA) is making strides toward bringing order to the numerous leadership programs currently in existence. They are creating the first online searchable directory of leadership degree programs thanks to a generous grant from the C. Charles Jackson Foundation.

The online directory is expected to be completed by the end of 2010, and ILA is currently soliciting colleges and universities to e-mail them about their programs to be included into the directory (ila@ila-net.org). Hopefully this directory will provide higher education administrators (who may be considering designing a leadership program) and prospective students with even more information on the state of leadership education.

Until the directory is available, however, prospective students may want to check out my post on how to evaluate leadership degree programs. As well as the leadership studies Wikipedia page.

I think that this is an exciting time to be studying leadership... from all aspects, and I can only imagine that the field will continue to grow. Leadership is one of the few academic topics that has relevancy to everyone in every field

For those who will be attending this year's annual ILA conference in Prague, Czech Republic (November 11 - 14, 2009), I am sure you'll see the diversity in leadership interests that exist. I won't be attending the conference this year (ARNOVA takes place just a few days after ILA).

But, Prague is amazingly beautiful... I was there for 6 weeks on a study abroad... and I'm sure that the conference will be a great!

Nonprofit + Leadership = Nonprofit Leadership?

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey McDougle) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 01:46:00 +0000

The study of leadership is a fascinating area of inquiry. What are "leaders?" Why do we follow "leaders?" What constitutes "leadership?" What are the determinates, correlates, and effects of "leadership?"

These are all interesting questions that have relevance in any organizational setting (whether government, for-profit, or nonprofit).

However, I wonder if the teaching of leadership has been reserved for the sectors that are often believed to be more "idealistic,"... such as the nonprofit sector...

Very rarely will you find a degree program in public sector management and leadership... let alone in corporate management and leadership. But, there are many degree programs in nonprofit management and leadership.

Take for instance most of the doctoral programs in leadership (which by the way, two new programs were added to the list recently: James Madison University has created a School of Leadership Studies and now offers a PhD in Strategic Leadership, and Indiana Tech University now offers a PhD in Global Leadership), most of these programs have concentrations in higher education leadership, K-12 education leadership, and nonprofit and/or community leadership. But, in corporate leadership... or in government leadership... there are hardly any.

So, since nonprofit programs seem to focus on leadership more so than do programs in other sectors... has the leadership emphasis made a difference?

Do nonprofit "leaders" have greater potential for "leadership" than public sector or for-profit leaders?

This is a very difficult (and probably nearly impossible) question to answer with a definitive "yes" or "no." Indeed, the subjective nature of leadership would likely cause a great deal of measurement bias.

But, in looking at the way that leadership is often talked about in the nonprofit sector: "the leadership deficit," it's hard to believe that the nonprofit sector (at least academically) has a greater leadership emphasis than does the government or the for-profit sector.

As chairman and co-founder of the Bridgespan Group wrote, "One of the biggest challenges facing nonprofits today is their dearth of strong leaders – a problem that’s only going to get worse as the sector expands and baby boom executives retire." (Stanford Social Innovation Review, Summer 2006)

Thus, although the nonprofit sector has a greater academic focus on leadership and is believed to be more "idealistic," than other sectors, it's not quite certain if this idealism has manifested into actual leadership yet.

"Blogcation"

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey McDougle) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 23:28:00 +0000

Hello, and thanks for stopping by my blog.

I will be taking a "blogcation" for the month of July (2009). This will be the first month since I have begun blogging that I will not be posting a blog article. However, I need to take a bit of time simply to generate some new ideas... and not to mention to begin writing my dissertation proposal.

In the meantime, please take some time and peruse my blog--especially if you're new to my site. There is plenty information about leadership, nonprofits, and education.

Again, thanks for stopping by. I'll return in August. See you then!

Lindsey M. McDougle

Leadership as a Field of Study (L.a.f.o.s.)

RGK Center for Philanthropy Summer Fellowship: Week 4

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey McDougle) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:53:00 +0000

The fellowship is now over. Four weeks of research, writing, learning, companionship, sight-seeing, and inspiration... are now over.

My experience in Austin, TX this summer has been awesome!

The last four weeks have filled me with so many new ideas and have re-inspired my desire to conduct research on the nonprofit sector. I hope that anyone interested in research on philanthropy, the nonprofit sector, and/or issues pertaining to society or community will consider applying for the RGK Summer Fellowship Program class of 2010. There are no specific disciplinary requirements for the program, and Dr. Frumkin says that he looks for "interesting" research questions in selecting fellows. So, if you feel that you have an interesting topic or an interesting research question then I would strongly encourage you to apply!

So, how did the last week of the program unfold?

Well, this last week was devoted to updates. Each fellow provided an update of their progress toward completing their working paper. We received feedback on whether or not we were on the right track, and we continued to provide ideas to one another.

There is some great nonprofit research taking place, and I truly think that there will be some very interesting papers that result out of this program. All of the papers should be posted online on the RGK Center website by July 17, 2009.

In addition to the class time during the day, we also took some time to enjoy a final night of live music in Austin. I believe that we went to a total of four live music venues during our 4-week stay. And, the music was unbelievable.

So not only was this fellowship a great learning opportunity, but it was also a great cultural experience as well. There are so many unique places in Austin (hence the slogan: "Keep Austin weird."), and I don't know if I would have ever gone to Austin (to live for a short while) if it had not been for this fellowship. But, the food, the music, the shopping, the festivals... it was all an experience. An experience that I am so thankful for!

Our farewell gathering took place at Dr Fumkin's home. We had lunch, met his family, and talked about the experience. Overall, I couldn't have asked for a better fellowship experience. Dr. Frumkin created a program that gives back to doctoral students in ways that I don't even think he realizes. But, we (the students) were so amazed and grateful. His research and ideas are a balance of imaginative creativity and pragmatic sensibility.

I am going to miss being a part of this program!

RGK Center for Philanthropy Summer Fellowship: Week 3

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey McDougle) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 20:37:00 +0000

Week 3 of the RGK Center fellowship has come and gone. The time here in Austin has gone by so fast. I'm really going to miss being around all of the friends that I've met out here. Every day I feel like I'm learning so much more about the nonprofit sector.

No.

Retract that.

Every day I feel like I'm learning so much more about academia and research in general. In 3 weeks I have learned more from Dr. Frumkin (the director of the RGK Center and also the director of this fellowship program) and the 6 other doctoral students than I could have ever learned in a semester of taking a course.

This 3rd week of the program was primarily focused on individual research and writing. We had a lot of time to work on our papers. But, we did manage to get out a bit and do some sight seeing in Austin!

Dr. Frumkin also held a session on career advice. And, MAN O' MAN were all of the doctoral students listening! Every pen in the room was moving about a mile a minute. (No kidding!)

I can't cover everything that we discussed during our two hour session, but I will provide an overview of the areas that Dr. Fumkin addressed.

1.) The dissertation: There has to be a "sparkle" to your dissertation... something that is attention getting and that will make you stand out. Don't underestimate the power of the dissertation topic!

2.) The adviser: Have an adviser that believes in you. There are four different combinations of advisers: helpful, low reputation; not helpful, low reputation; helpful, high reputation; not helpful, high reputation. Ideally, you want someone who's helpful, high reputation. If you can't get that then go for either not helpful, high reputation or helpful, low reputation. However, you don't want an adviser who is not helpful and has a low reputation.

3.) The job talk: Have something that's interesting! You want to stand out. Practice delivering it many times!

4.) Publications: Get at least one publication accepted while you're still in graduate school.

5.) Interviews: Don't underestimate the power of personality. It matters ALOT!

6.) Negotiating: Once you are offered the job, probe (but ever so gently) to see if there are other resources available to you (e.g., summer salary support, research support, etc.)

7.) Managing research: You have to be good at managing ideas in order to be good at research. So have a production system and be able to handle multiple projects at once. Don't put all of your eggs into one basket.

8.) Collaboration: It's good to have a mix of solo projects and collaborations. But, don't let collaboration be all that you do. Find a collaborator who compliments your strengths.

9.) Funding: Getting money is an art. Find funders who share your interests.

10.) Rejections: Your research will be rejected.

11.) Reputations: You're promoted based on reputation. You have to have a reputation for doing interesting work.

12.) Teaching: Balance between teaching and research. Teaching brings fresh ideas, but you don't want it to consume your time.

13.) Service: If you're going to do service work then make sure you do it well.

14.) Tenure: A critical thing that you want to work for. However, strive for normality on your road to obtaining it.

We also continued our discussion through out the week and we really got so much advice about the dissertation process (a phase that many of us are now upon), funding opportunities, and dissertation competition time lines.

I am so thankful to be a part of such an amazing fellowship opportunity!

RGK Center for Philanthropy Summer Fellowship: Week 2

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey McDougle) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:50:00 +0000

My week 2 post about the RGK Center Summer Fellowship program is a bit behind, but I still intend to blog about each week of the program!

There has been so much going on in the past two weeks that actually finding a time to sit down and write has been challenging. However, the program has definitely been worth it. (If you didn't read my previous post, I am currently participating a summer fellowship program hosted at the University of Texas-Austin's RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service).

Every day that I'm here I am learning so much more about the nonprofit sector. I wish that more opportunities like this existed for doctoral students interested in nonprofits. It would be transformative for the field. Truly this has been a fantastic experience.

The other students in the program are amazing! They each bring a unique perspective to the study of nonprofits (some are interested in quantitative methodologies, others qualitative methodologies... some are interested in foundations, others in social entrepreneurship and leadership.... a varied mix of research interests).

I had only some-what known one other student prior to attending the program (thanks, of course, to Twitter and Facebook), and I am just so impressed that the study of the nonprofit sector is taking place from so many disciplinary perspectives.

The second week of the program was a continuation of research presentations (from the first week). The final three fellows presented their research.

The first presentation (which was mine) focused on public confidence in the nonprofit sector, and factors that relate to favorable perceptions of the sector. This is a line of research that I have been studying for quite some time, and that I had become pretty "comfortable" with (to say the least). However, after getting feedback from everyone I have a renewed interest in the research and I'm actually thinking of taking it in a different direction.

The second presentation focused on performance measurement and reporting in foundations. The student was interested in knowing whether or not recent regulatory policies had any impact on foundation activity.

Finally, the third presentation was on corporate social responsibility particularly in the area of corporate philanthropy and giving programs.

Very interesting papers. Our sessions are always engaging and everyone provides such constructive advice. We are all learning from one another.

In addition to the classroom work that we do, we also go on outings as a group. We've gone to several different live music venues, western eateries, and country dance-halls. So, when I say that this is truly a unique fellowship program PLEASE believe me! It is simply amazing... hands-down.

RGK Center for Philanthropy Summer Fellowship: Week 1

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey McDougle) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 11:47:00 +0000

I am currently participating in a summer fellowship at the RGK Center on Philanthropy and Community Service at the University of Texas-Austin with Peter Frumkin, Ph.D--an amazingly brilliant nonprofit scholar.

The program lasts for 4 weeks, so I hope to write a blog post at the end of each week about how things are progressing and what we are up to.

Along with myself there are six other young nonprofit doctoral students (representing Sociology, Public Policy, and Public Administration programs). It is such an amazing opportunity to be able to interact with future nonprofit scholars who are studying the sector from different "disciplinary lenses."

The first week of the program was an absolute thrill. We began with a 1.5 hour "get to know you luncheon," and then transitioned right into business: presenting our research on the nonprofit sector.

The first presentation focused on methods of strategic adaptation in public and private higher educational institutions. A very fascinating paper. Essentially, the student was trying to show that in higher education there are different funding strategies that are pursued in public and private institutions and how these strategies change over time.

The second presentation was something that I, personally, am not very familiar with; however, Dr. Frumkin had much knowledge of--that is, the world of museums and contemporary art. The student will be conducting an ethnography to demonstrate how museums, a nontraditional market, use art as an investment.

The third presentation focused on innovation in nonprofit and public sector organizations. A very a timely piece (at least for me) since the next day at USD we held our symposium on time-tested models of nonprofit innovation. In this presentation the student was trying to show the differences in perceived innovation among employees in the nonprofit and the public sector.

Finally, the fourth presentation was on the purported "leadership deficit" facing the nonprofit sector and wage inequality in nonprofit and public sector organizations. This presentation is such a "hot topic" right now in the nonprofit sector that it sparked so many ideas by everyone in the room.

All of these papers will be online at the end of the program... and from there, hopefully in a journal somewhere (keep your fingers crossed).

Next week, I will be the first presentation followed by the final two student presenters. The topics should continue to be very interesting. Stay tuned!

Meet: Cara Taylor Miller

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey McDougle) — Wed, 20 May 2009 14:06:00 +0000

This is my first blog interview! I thought that it would be great to provide another person's perspective on Leadership education, and why (and how) other individuals choose to come to this field.

In the future I hope to have more interviews from people at other universities, in other countries, and even with other leadership-related interests!

Cara Taylor Miller is a 4th year doctoral student in Leadership Studies at the University of San Diego. She is a transfer student (so, technically, she has only been at USD for 2 years). When I met Cara I was pleasantly surprised by her strong interest in leadership and leadership education. You see, Cara had been always been interested in sociology during her academic career. She completed her Bachelors degree in the sociology of religion at UC Santa Barbara, and earned a Masters in Divinity degree at Princeton Theological Seminary.

I have learned so much from Cara in these past 2 years... In addition to the work that she currently does with action research and group relations, I highly suspect that Cara Taylor Miller: the woman, the academic, the researcher, will be doing some ground-breaking leadership work in the coming years. Watch out!

You can find Cara's complete student profile here.

1. How, if at all, do you think a leadership graduate program - which is highly interdisciplinary - differs from a more discipline-specific graduate degree program?

Rightly so, leadership studies claims interdiciplinarity as one of its strengths and one of its weaknesses.

First off, I transferred to USD from a discipline-specific doctoral program--if there ever was one: sociology. There are several "camps" [within sociology] that espouse certain paradigms vehemently and hock different methodologies (e.g., there are schools of thought, literal school-based factions of sociologists, and the lines are drawn clearly in the sand between them all). In general, the discipline is not on the progressive end of things, though I did run into several (already established & tenured) scholars doing some risky, pulse-pounding, innovative work.

These outliers (who had survived their own doctoral education in the "ancestor worship" of contemporary sociology, and who had survived twenty plus years publishing boring, dusty articles in top tier journals) resorted to partnering across disciplines to create something "new"--but, it was obvious to me that for "dyed-in-the-wool" sociologists this seemed akin to dating your own cousin: it's just something you don't do!

While I was a doctoral student in this traditional sociology department, I was partnered with a faculty member and I worked on his research work with him. We had myriad opportunities to design survey instruments, and to collect and analyze data. On one such project, I was thrilled to participate in the request for funding, the design of the instrument, the collection and analysis of the data, and the writing of the executive summary (what better training can a doctoral student ask for!?).

In short, I began to think that the data were showing an interesting conclusion that laid outside of sociology's categorical boundaries of race, class, and gender. The conclusion I was making was one regarding leadership. My faculty and I had no idea that leadership was a field of study, and I had no reference for the scholarly journals, academic associations, let alone any PhD programs devoted to its study. So, not thinking that there was any life outside of sociology's bounds, I continued my program in the categories that existed (at least, for me) and I did a fellowship at a large, research-1 university in California. When I left that fellowship, however, I had become even more suspicious that these categories [that I had been working within] would not sustain my research interests for long.

I loved my time at my previous universities, but I was yearning to work outside the box of research options that had been prescribed for me. To be fair, though, I didn't leave because I wanted to "cheat" on sociology's strict, conventional boundaries, that just made it easier for me to leave...

I fell in love with my husband Matt who lived halfway across the country. I grew to love him much more than I loved the program that I was in. When I realized that, I risked the two years that I had invested there, got married and moved to California to be with him. It was a splendid decision!

Continue Reading Cara's Interview!

Continued...

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey McDougle) — Wed, 20 May 2009 14:05:00 +0000

2. Why did you decide to pursue a leadership focused PhD program?

The short answer to this question is: I didn't pursue a leadership focused PhD program!

At least I didn't initially. I was searching the internet for sociology PhD programs to transfer to somewhere out in California. I had already studied at, or deeply investigated, the "big schools" in the Bay Area and I knew that they weren't a fit for me.

Matt and I are both from San Diego, so I thought I'd search UCSD sociology's scholarship and see what they were up to. I mis-typed and googled, "usd phd." Up came the USD SOLES (School of Leadership and Education Sciences) website and doctoral program!

At that point, I was very intrigued because I had never heard of a PhD in Leadership Studies. A few conversations with current faculty and students, and I became seriously interested.

3. How has your experience been in the program so far?

USD's program has been a whirlwind for me. My paradigms have shifted, my categories of research obliterated, my personal and professional development encouraged, my interests variegated.

To bring it back to your first question, I think that this has, in large part, to do with the interdisciplinarity embedded in this department. I have had as professors, or fellow students: an army colonel, a nun, a biologist, an executive coach, a developmental psychologist, a non-profit consultant, clergy members, school principals, coaches, and more! Having all of these perspectives and the investment of a varied faculty has made my academic progression multi-faceted. I predict I will continue to be amazed at the ways that this USD experience will show itself to be more and more brilliant as the years go by.

4. You teach a very interesting course in the leadership studies minor program. Can you talk a little about that course, and how the concept came about?

Yea, it's my favorite thing to describe actually.

Our department (along with other similar departments in the US) has been wondering about how to most effectively and appropriately teach leadership (yes--we think it can be taught!)--I imagine you have a blog post on this considering your interest and research on leadership education.

Along with other, more traditional ways of knowing, experiential knowing (that is grounded in presentational and propositional knowing) has been shown to be an excellent way to learn to facilitate a practical and "in-the-moment" discipline like leadership. While thinking about ways to offer this sort of experiential learning, I was introduced to Bill Torbert's work developing an arm of action research: Action inquiry.

I've taught the capstone course in the undergraduate leadership studies minor twice now--using action inquiry both times to direct collaborative, more democratic pedagogy. It's a teaching and learning process that is data-driven, and highly collaborative in nature.

The students and I experienced intense growth in our capacity to understand our lived experience of leadership, of leading, and of the curriculum of the minor.

5. Congratulations on making it to the dissertation phase of the program! What will your dissertation focus on?

Thanks! Being at this stage finally, feels great!

I will teach the capstone leadership studies course again this fall using action inquiry as pedagogy, and will engage in more general action research methods to record and report on the outcomes for my dissertation study.

It will be an adventure to say the least.

To brag on the program again, I am thrilled to have two USD faculty members, Steve Gelb and Cheryl Getz, supporting my non-traditional research as dissertation committee members. I'm also fortunate that Bill Torbert, emeritus Boston College professor, will be the third (outside) member of my committee. The three of them have worked together in different capacities and I have the overwhelming privilege to work with them and write for them through this. Their variegated emotional, developmental, and academic encouragements have already proven priceless for me.

I can't wait for what's still to come!

You've Been Accepted. Now What?

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey McDougle) — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:51:00 +0000

Several doctoral programs will begin hosting new student orientations in the coming weeks. In the School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES) (at University of San Diego), we hosted our incoming doctoral student welcome orientation last week.

For newly enrolling doctoral students there may be some uncertainty about how to get acclimated to this new life as a student (especially if you're returning to the "student role" after several years outside of this role).

Students pursuing leadership related degree programs may feel particularly uncertain simply due to the interdisciplinary focus of most leadership programs. For example, how do you foster academic relationships with professors when your interests span several academic fields? What academic associations should you join? What kind of campus involvement/presence should you have as a doctoral student? What academic journals should you read/attempt to publish in? How do you get involved in research opportunities?

All of these are great questions, and definitely questions that, as a newly enrolled doctoral student, you should be thinking about (if you haven't already discovered the answers). I will attempt to provide some general advice to all you embarking on this journey... which will at times prove to be very challenging, and at times prove to be very rewarding. However, your advisor, dean, department chair, and current doctoral student peers should be able to fill you in on the specifics.

How do you foster academic relationships with professors when your interests span several academic fields? If there was one thing that all of us current doctoral students relayed to the incoming class at USD, it was: build relationships and social capital! It will be very important for you, as a student, to take the initiative to get to know the faculty in your program (beyond just your advisor).

Consider taking a course outside of your department. For example, if you're interested in leadership and communication, take a course in the communications department. Get to know some of the communications faculty members and what their research interests are. This will be very important when you begin to form your dissertation committee, especially if you plan to have members from outside of your department. So, get in there early.

What academic associations should you join? Since leadership is such an interdisciplinary area of study there will, no doubt, be individuals in your incoming class who have interests other than yours. For example, in SOLES, we have specializations in:

Organizational leadership/consulting
Nonprofit and philanthropic leadership
K-12 education leadership
Higher education leadership
An individualized concentration

As such, depending on a students area of specialization, he/she should join academic associations that focus on those interests. However, there is an academic association dedicated to leadership overall: International Leadership Association (ILA)--that all leadership graduate students should consider joining. The major concentration specific associations may include:

Education: American Educational Research Association (AERA)
Management: Academy of Management (AoM)
Nonprofit Organizations: Association for Research on Nonprofit and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA)
Sociology: American Sociological Association (ASA)
Public Administration/Government: American Society for Public Administration (ASPA)
Communication: American Communication Association (ACA)
Psychology: American Psychological Association (APA)

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey McDougle) — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:05:00 +0000

Continued...

What kind of campus involvement/presence should you have as a doctoral student? The answer to this question will vary depending on the level of personal and professional responsibilities that each student has--as well as on whether the student is full-time or part-time. As a full-time student, I was able to get involved in, and take on leadership roles in, several campus organizations. The benefits of becoming involved in campus activities and organizations are huge. Not only are you able to build that social capital with faculty that I mentioned in the first point (above), but you are also able to network with peers in other schools and departments.

What academic journals should you read/attempt to publish in? This question is in some ways related to the question about academic associations above. Depending on a students specialization area, he/she will want to focus in that area for submitting publications. It will also be helpful to know where your advisor has published (if, that is, your advisor has the same research interests as you). However, being that leadership is a growing, and an interdisciplinary field your advisor may not, in fact, have your same research interests... which, by the way, is another reason you will want to develop those relationships with faculty in other departments, schools, and even universities. The more connected you are the better.

Although, you will probably submit publications to journals in your field or area of interest, you will want to read journals from many disciplines. Since the study of leadership is emerging and incorporates so much of its foundations from other disciplines: education, management, psychology, sociology, communications, etc., you will want to have as broad of a perspective as possible (without, of course, making yourself too broad, and subsequently irrelevant). Definitely get a handle on the literature in your field first (that is, if your area of specialization is something other than leadership, itself), but also don't be afraid to venture out and explore other topics. Who knows, maybe you will hit upon something that no one has thought about before!

How do you get involved in research opportunities? Many doctoral students come into doctoral programs as research or teaching assistants. These opportunities allow (or, require) them engage in research and/or teaching as a condition of their appointment. However, there are some doctoral students who may not have been awarded a research or teaching assistantship (which is not that uncommon in many social science, humanities, or education programs). So what do you do if you wanted a position, but you didn't get one? There are many faculty members who look for doctoral students to work on research projects with them (whether large federally funded projects or just small research ideas). To find these opportunities, again (I know I sound like a broken record): Build those relationships!

I can give a perfect example, a doctoral student in our program is currently a principal at a prestigious private middle school in Southern California. As a result, he was unable to receive a research assistantship from the university. He still, however, wanted to be involved in research opportunities. So, he built up his relationships with faculty. He got to know all of the faculty in the learning and teaching department, found out that some faculty members were working on a big project, and asked how he could be a part of it. Long story short, he was able to join the research team for two years, and he used the data from the project for his dissertation. So, relationships, relationships, relationships.

Looking for the Upside in a Downturn

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey McDougle) — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:15:00 +0000

A while ago I wrote a blog post about strategic innovation and collaboration in the nonprofit sector. Now, the Research Center where I work is hosting a conference on June 05, 2009 all about collaboration and innovation in the sector. (I wish that I could say as a result of my post; however, it's not).

The conference will be a half day seminar with "innovative" nonprofits being flown in from different places: New York, Pennsylvania, California. If you are in the San Diego area on June 05, I would highly recommend that you check it out. The cost of the event is $25, but we are also offering scholarships for people.

This is an interesting time for many nonprofit organizations, and it's time to start thinking about whether it's possible (or even necessary) to form a strategic partnership with another organization. At this conference, you will hear about several great examples of innovation--that may, or may not, be transferable to your organization.

The event flyer is posted below:

LOOKING FOR THE UPSIDE IN THE DOWNTURN: TIME-TESTED MODELS OF NONPROFIT INNOVATION

U.S. Bank invites those who work in the nonprofit and philanthropic sector to an in-depth seminar and workshop on best practices organized by the Caster Family Center for Nonprofit Research at the University of San Diego.

The session will present field-tested models of how organizations throughout the nation are functioning more effectively through collaborative inter-organizational relationships or the innovative use of technology. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss these ideas in small groups with the presenters over lunch.

The seminar will feature:

The Children's Support Foundation of New York - Shared Planned Giving
Pittsburgh Human Resources Collaborative - Shared HR Functions
Council of Community Clinics of San Diego - Shared Purchasing
USD Professor Mary McDonald - Mechanics of Collaboration
Shakespeare Santa Cruz - Fundraising Through Innovative Technology
Heather Carpenter and Tom Cesarini - Technology Tools for Increased Efficiency

Please join us for this informative event - and please be sure to invite your friends and colleagues:

Date: Friday, June 5, 2009
Time: 8:00 AM-12:45 PM
Place: University of San Diego, Mother Rosalie Hill Hall, Warren Auditorium
5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, CA 92110

Fee: $25 per person, breakfast and lunch will be provided.
Scholarships available upon request.

View the event's working agenda.

Register online at www.sandiego.edu/nonprofit/events
Direct questions to Carmen Valencia at cvalencia@sandiego.edu or (619) 260-8839.

You can follow the Caster Family Center for Nonprofit Research on Twitter @USDNONPROFIT.

Review of Leadership and Nonprofit Education Related Posts

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey McDougle) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:01:00 +0000

To end the month of April I've decided to include links to all of my previous blog posts related to either Leadership Education or Nonprofit Education. My research (and area of study) is interdisciplinary--focusing in both fields. These posts should provide a great deal of information for prospective students in both areas.

Leadership Education

Nonprofit Education

There's A Space For You "At the Table"

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey McDougle) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 20:27:00 +0000

Recently Rosetta Thurman wrote a very interesting blog post about the lack of (or, her failure to find very many) nonprofit and philanthropy blogs written by "people of color."

In line with Rosetta's recent post, I would like to acknowledge a similar finding (or lack of finding) in the academic arena: That being, the lack of nonprofit/philanthropy doctoral students of color as well as the lack of nonprofit/philanthropy faculty of color.

Now, I recognize that this is ultimately a systemic and multifaceted issue. In other words, there are MANY factors: from issues surrounding an individual's home life, to the quality of secondary education people receive, to who gets into college, even to who has an interest in particular academic areas, that go into determining whether or not someone decides to pursue a doctoral degree in a particular field (or, even at all).

With that said, however, it is interesting to note who actually decides to pursue the nonprofit/philanthropic studies academic career path.

There have been no official studies on this issue, so much of what we know about doctoral students and faculty of color in the nonprofit studies field is based on assumption and anecdotal evidence... as such, in the absence of hard evidence we must look elsewhere for actual data and make our own connections.

Therefore, if we take a look at "minority" Ph.D. statistics from 1996 - 2006 a few things become obvious:

The number of Ph.D.'s held by underrepresented persons (in all fields) has been slowly increasing with the exception of Ph.D.'s obtained by American Indians... who have seen a decrease in the number of Ph.D.s.
In areas where nonprofit/philanthropic studies doctoral programs are MOST likely to be situated (i.e., social science and professional fields), blacks and Hispanics have been the largest minority recipients.
In spite of #3, the actual number of Ph.D.s in these areas remains infinitesimally small--especially, for instance, when you think of the distribution of each of the 319 black social science Ph.D. holders across the many different social science areas that exist (e.g., economics, psychology, sociology, anthropology, etc) .

From my own experiences (as a doctoral student of color in the area of nonprofit and philanthropic studies), I don't necessarily have to look at statistics in order to recognize a lack of representation in this field. All I have to do is look around at academic conferences (and in the classroom) to see that there doesn't appear to be a large sea of diversity (academically) in the field of nonprofit/philanthropic studies...

Since I don't know application statistics, I am unable to say whether or not persons of color are (or are not) applying to doctoral programs in this field. But, my hope is that more people of color will begin to recognize the importance of researching the nonprofit sector...

Increasing the number of "minority Ph.D. holders"--period--is an issue in and of itself that could be a 10-part blog series. But, since most my research focuses primarily on the nonprofit sector my interest lies in encouraging more men and women of color to consider this field as a viable academic career path.

In so many ways this reminds me of the issue of representation on nonprofit and foundation boards. As the argument (from one end) goes: how can you truly understand the needs of a community and work to meet their needs if individuals from the community don't have a voice in decision-making? Likewise, in what ways would research on philanthropy and the nonprofit sector benefit by having all of the different research voices "at the table?"

What is Leadership Studies?

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey McDougle) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:19:00 +0000

At last.... I've created the first Wikipedia page about the academic field of "Leadership Studies."

It has been pretty frustrating to Google other academic fields (such as "anthropology," "sociology," "organization studies," etc.) and to read all about those fields, but have absolutely nothing devoted to the field of leadership from an academic perspective (a field which in many ways is related to all of the previous listed disciplines).

I am hoping that as time progresses the Leadership Studies Wiki page will be expanded upon and developed into an even more in-depth overview of the field. For the time being, however, the page provides a sufficient overview of Leadership Studies for anyone interested in learning more about the field.

The Wiki page can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadership_Studies and includes:

* An overview of Leadership Studies

* A look at Leadership Studies in higher education

* A history of the study of leadership within academia

* A list of notable leadership scholars

* A list of academic journals devoted to leadership

* A list of leadership related associations and organizations

* A list or leadership research centers

* An overview of research methods in the study of leadership

* A list of leadership related academic programs (undergraduate, graduate, & doctoral)

If nothing more, the Wiki page provides much of the information that is included on my blog in one place and in a succinct format. I realize that my blog has much of the information in different areas of the site. So, this should provide those interested in learning more about Leadership Studies an opportunity to explore the discipline in a more streamlined manner.

Any feedback or suggestions on the Wiki page would be appreciated!

Philanthropy Annual: Nonprofit and Philanthropy Blogs

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey McDougle) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 04:51:00 +0000

The following is a list of nonprofit and philanthropy blogs that were highlighted in the 2008 Philanthropy Annual Report produced by Foundation Center. I read many of these blogs regularly, and find them to be very good. Enjoy!

The Cohen Report
www.nonprofitquarterly.org/cohenreport/

FLiP
flip.typepad.com

Gift Hub
www.gifthub.org

Give & Take
www.philanthropy.com/giveandtake/

The GiveWell Blog
blog.givewell.net

Government and Politics Watch
philanthropy.com/news/government/

Inside Philanthropy
philanthropyjournal.blogspot.com

Ken’s Commentary
www.kenscommentary.org

New Voices of Philanthropy
www.tristaharris.org

Nonprofit & Foundation Advocacy Blog
advocacydigest.blogspot.com

Nonprofit Literature Blog
cnl-librarian.blogspot.com

The Nonprofiteer
nonprofiteer.net

Paul Brest
www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-brest

PhilanthroMedia
www.philanthromedia.org

Philanthropy 2173
philanthropy.blogspot.com

Philanthropy Action
www.philanthropyaction.com

PhilanTopic
pndblog.typepad.com/pndblog/

Rosetta Thurman
www.rosettathurman.com

Social Edge
www.socialedge.org/blogs/

Stanford Social Innovation Review Opinion Blog
www.ssireview.org/opinion/

Tactical Philanthropy
www.tacticalphilanthropy.com

Uncivil Society
uncivilsociety.org

VA£U€$
www.philanthrocapitalism.net

Wise Philanthropy
wisephilanthropy.blogspot.com

* The full report can be found on the Foundation Center website: http://foundationcenter.org/philanthropyannual/

Innovation, Collaboration and Strategy

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey McDougle) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:01:00 +0000

Since the start of the recent "economic downturn" several people have begun talking about innovation and collaboration in the nonprofit sector.

How can nonprofits be more innovative in management?
What new innovative ideas should nonprofits consider in order to operate more effciently?
Should nonprofits consider collaborating more to develop innovative capacity?

These are all good questions. But, I would caution nonprofits from automatically thinking that "innovation" and "collaboration" will solve all of the issues that they're facing as a result of the "downturn" --or as a result of any pressures for that matter. Yes, of course, innovation can be a good thing. And, yes of course, collaboration can also be a good thing. But, innovation and collaboration are only good when they are developed thoughtfully, with careful attention to detail (i.e. the big picture as well as the practical issues are kept in mind), and with a full understanding of costs and benefits.

In other words, innovation and collaboration can be good. But, STRATEGIC innovation and collaboration can be even better.

For example, I know of a collaborative of nonprofit organizations that joined forces to streamline their administrative operations. Due to financial constraints, this group of four nonprofits, decided to share an HR coordinator to manage a majority of the administrative and operational responsibilities for each organization, and to reduce costs.

On the surface this appears to be a very good idea. Human resource functions became more efficient. Instead of each organization paying for a full time coordinator, they were able to share the cost of one administrator. And, they were able to focus more attention on their mission related activities.

However, what these nonprofit organizations made up for in efficiency, they lost in organizational knowledge. Working with the organizations regarding simple administrative matters --which just a few years ago each organization would have done in-house and been able to provide readily available data-- became a nightmare. Without the help of the collaborative coordinator, none of the organizations knew anything about their own HR processes and operations. And, trying to find someone to point you in the right direction was almost impossible. These are not even large nonprofits --mid-sized, at best.

Although the collaborative that these nonprofits formed was indeed innovative (for them). If they had just weighed all of the costs and benefits associated with the collaboration, and really sat down to think about how to effectively streamline operations without losing a major component of themselves (institutional knowledge), then this would have been an even more effective and strategic innovation. Sure, going directly to the coordinator could resolve many of these issues. But, how effective is it when key personnel can't provide you with basic information to help them during a strategic planning process?

At this point, it is uncertain how this loss in institutional knowledge will affect these organizations. However, when this coordinator of the collaborative resigns, quits, or finds another job, it will be interesting to see how these organizations plan to recover the years of knowledge regarding their organization that they contracted out.